‘Endless fears’: Even if fighting stops, the damage to Iran’s children will endure

Endless fears

The enduring toll on Iran’s youth

The war has taken root in his mind. A sudden door slam or a dropped utensil sends him into a startled reaction. Even with the ceasefire in effect, this remains unchanged. “Before the conflict, I had no stress at all,” shares Ali. “Now, even the smallest noise causes my brain to react intensely.” At just 15, Ali—using a pseudonym—grasps how the sounds of US and Israeli airstrikes linger in the psyche, triggering an involuntary startle reflex. “Explosions, shock waves, and the roar of jets overhead all have a lasting impact,” he explains.

A generation in turmoil

More than 20% of Iran’s population is under 14 years old—around 20.4 million children. The trauma experienced by Ali and others is classified by experts as “hyperarousal,” a potential precursor to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He observes his parents’ anxiety, searching for the comfort of normalcy but finding none. His father is unemployed due to the war, while his mother lives in constant worry. “My mother stays at home, and whenever jets pass, she becomes fearful and stressed,” Ali says. “I’ve lost contact with my friends. I should be studying, working, and planning for independence. Instead, I’m consumed by endless fears of bombs and political unrest.”

Shrinking horizons

The children’s world has contracted. With schools closed and streets patrolled by regime militias, families remain indoors, waiting for the ceasefire to last. The war has introduced a pervasive sense of danger into daily life, affecting youth across Iran, Israel, Lebanon, and the Gulf. Through trusted local contacts, the BBC gathered accounts from parents and caregivers struggling to support children dealing with trauma. Some names have been altered to protect their safety.

“Try to create a calmer environment for him,” advises Aysha, a counselor in Tehran. “If possible, engage him in play and keep him occupied. If not, bring him here.”

Aysha’s center receives frequent calls and visits from anxious parents. “We see sleep disturbances, nightmares, difficulty focusing, and even aggression in children,” she notes. “When you fight so hard to raise a child only for them to be killed—whether in protests or bombings—you can’t imagine sending another into the world.”

Children as soldiers

According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), 3,636 individuals have died in the conflict. Among them, at least 254 are children. The Iranian government has actively enlisted minors in the Basij volunteer militia, a core group of state enforcers. In a televised speech, a regime official urged parents to “take your children by the hand and step onto the streets.” He framed the war as a rite of passage for boys, claiming, “Do you want your son to become a man? Let him feel like a hero on the battlefield, directing the fight. Mothers and fathers, send your children to the checkpoints at night. These children will grow into men.”

“A 12-year-old,” says a Tehran resident named Noor, “will never be sent to the front.”

Noor’s son is a teenager, and she vows to shield him from military service. Amnesty International criticizes the Iranian authorities for “trampling children’s rights” and violating international humanitarian law by drafting minors under 15 into the armed forces. This practice, permitted by Iran’s security laws, amounts to a war crime under global standards.

For 11-year-old Alireza Jafari, the call to arms proved fatal. He was killed by a drone strike while accompanying his father on duty in Tehran on 29 March. A local newspaper reported his mother, Sadaf Monfared, saying the boy had told her, “I want to become a martyr.”